RGS Atalantas

Author: Alan ShattockPublisher: Troubador

Alan Shattock has been researching the history of his father. Dick Shattock's, RGS Atalanta sports cars, his pioneering work on the use of fibreglass for the manufacture of sports car bodies and his collaborative work with John Griffiths on the production of JAG cars. The importance of Dick's entrepreneurial sports car work in reviving the Atalanta marque after the war and how, essentially as a one-man sports car designer, Dick achieved performance capable of beating the top works sports car of the mid-1950 is recounted. This is a unique story, covering the late post war period to the present time, of these two important, but less well known, marques; some RGS Atalantas still survive and still winning - but the story does not end - a new Atalanta has recently emerged. Amazingly, Alan has managed to trace almost all of the RGS Atalanta cars built by, or with the assistance of Dick, at Brookside Garage. These are believed to number about 11 cars, and, of these, six still survive and at least two, including Dick's works RGS Atalanta, are currently racing in the UK and internationally. Of over 100 fibreglass RGS Atalanta car bodies sold all over the world by Dick, Alan has traced some 28 cars fitted with these bodies, some of which are also used in competition. Alan has also put together a comprehensive account of the relationship with John Alan Griffiths and the 21 JAG cars that he built, more than two thirds of these with Dick at Brookside Garage in Berkshire.